Your City Experience in Trier

As you stroll through the pedestrian zone, you’ll almost automatically pass by the city’s main attractions: the Porta Nigra, the Cathedral, St Mary’s Church, the Basilica of Constantine and the Imperial Baths are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A short walk from the pedestrian zone, you’ll find the amphitheatre, the Barbara Baths and the old Roman bridge, which are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The renowned architect Oswald M. Ungers created a gigantic glass cube above the thermal baths at the Viehmarkt, designed to serve as a showcase for the city’s history.

Fancy a guided tour? Then you can join a public guided tour organised by the Tourist Information Centre, which starts at the Porta Nigra.

Trier has a number of museums to offer, each boasting special collections and exhibits, foremost among them the Rheinisches Landesmuseum and the Museum am Dom. Here you’ll find important artefacts from the ancient UNESCO World Heritage sites and the surrounding area, such as the Constantine ceiling paintings, which were discovered beneath the cathedral.

At the Simeonstift City Museum by the Porta Nigra, you can learn all about the city’s history and its cultural heritage.

In addition, there are two very special treasures you simply must see: the medieval Egbert Codex and the Ada Gospel Book are part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register and are on display, alongside other rare books, in the treasury of the City of Trier’s Scientific Library.  

Did you know that Karl Marx was born in Trier? His birthplace houses a museum where, in the permanent exhibition, you can learn about Karl Marx as a person, his achievements and the impact his ideas continue to have to this day.

The European Art Academy is a great place to visit for modern art. Together with the university and the university of applied sciences, the Art Academy has also set up a database on art in public spaces and developed themed tours accessible via smartphone. You can find these online.

In the city centre, there are various galleries hosting interesting temporary exhibitions, such as the Netzwerk Gallery with its garden, the KM9 Gallery and the Junge Kunst Gallery. Just off Neustraße stands an iconic former kiosk, which now serves as a modern exhibition space.

You should also take a look at the modern St Michael’s Church in the Mariahof district, a cube-shaped pyramid designed in 1968–69 by the architect Konny Schmitz. Otto Herbert Hajek designed the chancel.

Trier is a very popular shopping destination, where even its Luxembourg neighbours enjoy a spot of shopping. You can simply wander from shop to shop. Alongside international brands and chain stores, you’ll also find numerous owner-run shops and boutiques. The fashion design course at Trier University of Applied Sciences has produced a number of shops where fashion designers sell their extravagant designer clothes.

You’ll find two of these fashion shops on Neustraße, which is a prime location for creative ventures. There are more at the nearby Kornmarkt and on Jakobstraße, near the Hauptmarkt.

If you’re looking for a top culinary destination in Trier, then Becker’s in the Olewig district of Trier is the place for you. With its fine dining, regional ingredients, stylish ambience and its own vineyard, Becker’s combines culinary delights with Mosel wine culture in a truly special way.

In the city centre, directly opposite the cathedral, you’ll find the Schlemmereule restaurant, whose cuisine is inspired by neighbouring France and Luxembourg. The wine list features over 200 wines from the finest Mosel vineyards.

Another highly recommended spot is the restaurant at Monaise Castle. The magnificent early-Classical building is a delight in itself! It was built around 1780 as a summer residence for Philipp Franz von Walderdorff, Dean of Trier Cathedral, and is considered the only building on German soil constructed in the Louis XVI style. The name is derived from the French ‘mon aise’, which translates as ‘my ease’. The restaurant’s menu offers a successful blend of classic French, Mediterranean and regional cuisine.

A new addition to the Michelin-starred scene since 2023 is the Bagatelle, situated directly on the banks of the Mosel at Zurlaubener Ufer, under the leadership of head chef Gerald Schöberl. With a unique view of the Moselle, he treats his guests to modern cuisine featuring classic French influences and interesting Japanese touches.

If you’d like to get an overview of the best wines from the Mosel wine-growing region, there are several wine shops and wine bars to choose from.

The Weinhaus has an extensive selection of Mosel wines from renowned estates on its menu – true to the motto: ‘Life is too short to drink bad wine’. 

Other great spots for wine lovers include the Kesselstatt wine bar opposite the Liebfrauenkirche, the well-stocked wine shop at Weinhaus Oechsle, and GOLDMUND Wein & Freunde right in the city centre.

You’re sure to discover even more great spots whilst strolling through the city.

One more tip: a visit to the wine stall on Trier’s main market square (open from March to November) is an absolute must!

A city like Trier naturally has plenty to offer in terms of nightlife. There’s one club in particular we’d like to recommend: villaWuller. Here you can dance the night away to (electronic) music. DJs from the region, as well as from cities such as Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Brussels, London and Bristol, take to the decks.

 When it comes to concerts and festivals, Trier has plenty to offer!

The open-air concerts against stunning backdrops are particularly atmospheric, such as Porta³ on the Porta Nigra forecourt, the Amphitheatre Open-Air, the concert series in the courtyard of the Simeonstift, or the programme at the Kulturhafen Zurlauben on the banks of the Moselle.

In autumn, you can look forward to the Trierer Unterwelten festival, which whisk you away into an unknown world of cellars and catacombs, tunnels and basements, excavations, garages and crypts. Every two years, the Illuminale light art festival transforms above-ground Trier into a mysterious, enchanting world.

The organ concert series in Trier Cathedral transforms this time-honoured cathedral into a magnificent acoustic space.

The Mosel Music Festival makes use of Trier’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as other historic venues, for outstanding concerts, including the Cathedral, Liebfrauen Church, St Gangolf’s Church and the Electoral Palace (inner courtyard and Rococo Hall).